Photolithography of photovoltaic cell circuits

Do solar cells use photolithography?

Although solar cells are comprised of relatively large and bulky layers of materials, traditional designs with metal fingers as front contacts to collect the electrons are features that rely on the use of photolithography for their fabrication.

Which photoresist is used in solar cell lithography?

Figure 1. Cell in the spin coater The photoresist used in our solar cell fabrication process the lithography is AZ 5214. This is a resist comprised of a novolak resin (phenol formaldehyde) and naphthoquinone diazide (photoactive compound), with a good spectral sensitivity for wavelength within 310 nm and 420 nm.

How is transient photovoltage measured?

The transient response of the cell under testing was recorded on an Agilent Technologies Infiniivision DSO-X 3032 A digital oscilloscope (DOSC). For transient photovoltage measurements, cells were connected to the DOSC with a termination of 1 MΩ to achieve open circuit condition.

How was photolithography achieved?

Photolithography was achieved via a MicroWriter ML3 laser direct writing photoengraving machine (Durham Magneto Optics). The redundant areas of metals and S1813 were lifted off using a stripper (Remover PG, MicroChem). As for the substrates with bottom electrodes, a hydrophobic treatment was applied.

How do planar photovoltaic cells split photogenerated excitons?

Planar photovoltaic cells split photogenerated excitons using a built-in electric field at a heterojunction (Fig. 1a). Electrons and holes transfer in opposite directions to cathode and anode, respectively, converting light energy to electrical energy and generating photocurrent in the external circuit.

Can photolithography be used to fabricate back-contact electrodes?

However, the best-performing devices to date use photolithography to fabricate electrodes, which is expensive for deployment and a barrier for research facilities. Herein, we utilize cracked film lithography, a solution-processed micropatterning technique, to form an interconnected, defect-tolerant back-contact electrode network.